Gordon Ryan, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s most polarizing champion, has once again thrust himself into the political spotlight—this time by mocking New York City mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani for struggling to bench press 135 pounds during Brooklyn’s Men’s Day event. On Instagram, Ryan reposted the clip with the caption:
“If the democratic party was a video. They definitely don’t know what a woman is and seemingly don’t know what a man is, either 🤣”
The jab immediately stirred reactions online but the situation raises bigger questions: Should fitness really be politicized?
The fact that Mamdani even attempted the lift should be applauded. Many politicians on both sides of the aisle are visibly unfit and would never risk public embarrassment by trying something as simple as a bench press in front of a crowd. In an era where obesity-related illnesses are rampant and politicians spend more time behind podiums than under barbells the act of trying matters more than failing. Turning a 135-pound bench press into a referendum on masculinity or political ideology misses the point. A healthier more vital population should be a universal goal—not a partisan meme.
Gordon Ryan’s decision to use Mamdani’s failed lift as political fodder highlights a larger problem with his own foray into politics. The reigning ADCC champion has been attempting to parlay his athletic success into political credibility but his efforts so far look more like borrowed outrage than original thought. He has aligned himself with controversial figures like Tim Kennedy—currently under investigation for stolen valor—and has leaned heavily on recycled talking points rather than developing his own platform. Even within the BJJ community his off-the-mat takes have been met with skepticism.
Ryan once claimed to have “carried USA” in sports, an eyebrow-raising statement given the niche status of jiu-jitsu compared to mainstream athletics not to mention his refusal to test himself in MMA despite its broader cultural relevance. To many it comes across as self-aggrandizing and disconnected from reality.
Mocking a politician’s failed bench press might earn Ryan a few laughs from his followers but it does little to strengthen his credibility in politics. Instead it underscores his tendency to punch down rather than engage in meaningful discourse. If Gordon Ryan wants to transition from being the king of no-gi bjj to a serious voice in politics he’ll need more than memes and borrowed outrage.
